Dispensing device



June 10, 1941. J. A. MARCUSE 2,245,488

DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, '1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGJ.

I NV EN TOR. JOHN A. M/MCMSE I BY ATTORNEY;

June 10, 1941. 'J MARQUSE I 2,245,488

I DISPENSING DEVICE I Fiied Feb 9. 194o 2 S heLetS-S'neet 2 I INVENTOR. JOHN A. MARCUSE ATTORN Y.

Patented June 10, 1941 DISPENSING DEVICE John A. Marcuse, Scarsdale, N. Y., assignor to West Disinfecting- Company, Long Island City,

Application February9, 1940, Serial No. 318,142

6 Claims. (01. 221-114) This invention relates to dispensers for solid material and particularly to a device for dispensing powdered soap such as is used in washrooms, lavatories, and the like.

In devices of the above type, it is desired to dispense a measured quantity of soap upon each actuation of the device, and various means of accomplishing this have been proposed, such as a ratchet-operated valve, or a rod which is pushed upwardly by the users hand to open a valve.

In order to prevent caking of the soap within the dispenser, it has also been proposed to provide agitating means operated by the valveopening means, but I have found that such agitating means as have heretofore been proposed have been ineffectual to secure efficient dispensing action when the dispenser is filled with soap powder of a relatively oily nature or when moisture has reached the powder within the dispenser.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser which will be efiicient in operation even when the material therein is of an oily nature or has become moist and tends to cake.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a dispenser in which agitating or scraping means are provided for positively scraping material from the inner surface of the dispenser in the neighborhood of the outlet therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide agitating means of sturdy construction, amply supported in operation and, therefore, not likely to get out of order.

It will be appreciated that the problem of providing an eflicient dispenser is an important one because, with such a dispenser, soap powder of a more oily nature and consequently of a better quality can be used, thus increasing the field of use for such dispensers. Also the provision of a more eflicient dispenser is advantageous even where less oily soaps are used since soap dispensers are usually mounted above wash basins where the amount of moisture is great and this moisture tends to enter the dispenser and cause caking of the soap powder therein regardless of what kind of soap powder is used.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described more fully in conjunction with the accompanying drawings disclosing by way of example one embodiment of the invention. Although the drawings and following description refer to the use of the dispenser for powdered soap, it will be understood that the invention can also be used for dispensing other materials. In the drawings:

Fig. l is a central vertical section through a dispenser embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the dispenser of the invention comprises a body ladapted to receive powdered soap or the like and having a hinged cover 2 with a suitable locking device 3. The body I has a frusto-conical discharge spout 4 with an opening 5 at the lowermost part thereof. The

usual bracket 6 for attachment to a wall or the like may also be provided.

The body I is provided interiorly with a bottom I spaced from the frusto-conical dis- In accordance with the invention, passage of material through the opening 8 is controlled by a combined dispensing and agitating device designated generally by 9. The device 9 comprises a frusto-conical element l0 which constitutes a continuation of the bottom "I. The element I0 is adapted to rotate with respect to the bottom I but overlaps the latter, for example by the extension ll so as to prevent egress of material between the parts! and Ill. The element H) has fixed thereto a ratchet, said element l0 and the ratchet being mounted for rotation as a unit on a sleeve l3 which is maintained in fixed relation to the bottom I by a supporting bracket I l.

The rotatable element H] has a plurality of vanes l5 fixed thereto, and co-operating stationary vanes [6 are fixed to the bottom 1 of the dispenser body. The stationary vanes l6 are spaced from the inner surface of the bottom by a distance slightly greater than the width of the movable vanes I5, and the vanes l5 project beyond the element [0 into contact with, 01' at least in close proximity to the bottom. Therefore, when the vanes I5 are moved in a manner here inafter' explained, they will sweep through the space between the vanes l6 and the bottom, not only scraping adhering material from said bottom but also generally agitating the mass of material Within the dispenser by their movement therethrough and by their interaction with the vanes [6.

The vanes l5 and element II! are moved by engagement of a pawl I! with the aforementioned ratchet I2. This pawl is mounted on a plate I8 arranged in the space between the bottom I and the discharge spout 4. Plate I8 is pivoted for movement in a horizontal plane about pin I9. Movement is imparted to the plate, and consequently to the pawl and ratchet by an operating lever 29 projecting through an elongated slot 2| in the side of the dispenser body. A spring 22 is provided for returning the plate 28 to its original position after movement thereof.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen that the plate scribed and illustrated by way of example, it will be understood that other forms may be used without departing from the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A dispenser comprising a container having a conical bottom leading to a discharge opening,

I8 has a solid portion 23 which in the normal -position (as shown) closes the opening .through sleeve I3. The plate l8 also has=an opening -24:-

adapted to come into registry with the opening through sleeve I3 when the plate I8 is moved by. lever 20.

The plate I8 also has an extension-25"- overlying the opening 24 and spaced therefronn'r which extension, upon movement of the plate, is adapted to enter a slot 26- in the side of the-sleeve- I3 and close the opening of said sleeve.

In operation, and assuming the dispenserfilled with soap powder, the powder will drop into the tween the portions 23 and will be dispensed,

but the portion 25' will prevent more material running out of the dispenser.-

During movement of the plate I8, the pawl Ii movesthe ratchet I2 and its associated parts including vanes I5. As a result, the vanes 15 are rotated relatively to the bottom I, relatively to the material in the dispenser, and relatively to the stationary'vanes I6. This provides a vigorous and efiicient agitating action and is to be distinguished from. the mild agitation which isobtained when a member is merely moved through a mass of material; With the arrangement of the present invention, the vanesnot only move through the material, but also scrape the bottom" of the dispenser where the greatest eating is likely to occur. Also the movable vanes have what might be called a shearing action in co-operation with the stationary vanes, and this further in.- creases the efiicacy of the agitation.

Upon return movement of the plate I8 caused by spring 22, the portion 25 moves to the inactive position, and the portion 23 moves to the active position shown in the drawings: The pawl I1 runs idly over the ratchet teeth as permitted by its spring 21.

It will be appreciated that, if desired, the movement of the vanes I5 could be made to occur during return movementof the plate I8, for example by reversing the direction of teeth on the ratchet and correspondingly changing the pawl. With such an arrangement, the vanes would be moved while the space within the sleeve 23 is filling up with material rather than while. said space is being emptied.

It will be seen from above that there has been provided a dispenser of simple construction-in which agitation of the material'is efiected as an incident to the! dispensing operation and this 'agi tation is of such a character that movable vanes are rotated in close proximity to a stationary in. nor wall of the dispenser and in close proximity vanessecured to a stationary part of the dispenser andextending over said bottom substantially'parallel thereto and spaced therefrom, movable vanes extending over said bottom and substantially filling the space between the inner surfaceof the bottom and said stationary vanes,

' and means for moving the movable vanes and for dispensing material from the container.

2. -A-dispenser--- comprising a container, a dis-- charge opening in the bottom ofsaid-container, a stationary sleeve attached to said bottom and extending downwardlyin continuation thereof, a

plate closing the bottom of-saidsleeve,-rotatab1e means mounted on-said-sleeve and carrying agitating vanes extending into the container in engagementwith the bottom thereof, and means for I and adapted to close theopening ofthe-container I bottom when the. closure plate '-is moved awayromthe bottom of the sleeve.-

4. In a dispensena container having side walls,

a bottom..with a discharge opening,- a discharge 7 spoutbelow said discharge opening, a plurality of stationary .vanes. extending -across said vcontainer .bottom substantially parallel, thereto and spaced therefrom, .aplurality of. movablev vanes mountedon an annular. member and extending.

acrossthe surface ofsaid bottombetween it and the stationary vanes, said annular member being mountedon a stationary annular sleeve associated with said container, bottom.

5. Adispenser comprising a container having a bottom with-a dischargev opening, .a discharge spout in said container spaced from said discharge opening and havingan opening in the lower part thereof, scraping and agitating means comprising stationary vanes extending across said container bottom substantially parallel-thereto and spaced therefrom, and movable vanes arranged in the space bet-ween said stationary vanes and bottom, and means in the space between said discharge spout and container bottom for carrying the movable vanes and for closing the discharge opening of the container bottom.

6. A dispenser comprising a container having a bottom with a discharge opening, a discharge spout. spaced from said opening and having an opening in the lower part thereof, stationary vanes extending across the bottom but spaced therefrom, movable vanes. in the space between the-stationary vanes and the bottom, a stationary sleeve below the opening of the bottom and in the space between said bottomand discharge spout, means rotatably mounted onsaid sleeve carrying .said movable vanes, closure plates in said space adapted to cooperate withsaid sleeve to open and close same, and means extending through'the wall'of the dispenser for operating said plates and. rotating said movable vanes.

JOHN MARCUSE. Y 

